Past...
Jack Frost found Story sitting alone in a room, and apparently the Fifteen year old boy was clearly bothered by something. The brown haired boy looked like he was deep in thought and Jack noticed that it seemed his friend didn't even know that he'd came in.
It was then that the Winter Spirit noticed a strange pixie trapped inside an upside down pitcher. The pixie, Jack observed, was black and gray, as if it were made from soot and shadows. The Frost Spirit recognized the pixie as being called Nyfe. And the pixie was sitting in a crouching position and looked ready to shoot into the air, just as soon as the trap was lifted. The Winter Spirit looked at Story and pointed to the dark pixie.
"Why is it, that Nyfe is under a pitcher?" Jack asked curiously, as the Winter Spirit walked up to get a closer look at the pixie.
"Because his very appearance hurts my heart," Story told him, looking at Jack. "And I have no idea why."
Jack lightly tapped the glass and saw Nyfe look up at him pleadingly. The Winter Spirit noticed that the creature was moving his mouth and he realized that the pixie was speaking. The Frost Pixie was concerned with Story's actions, as this wasn't like his friend to imprison his pixies.
"Who's Artemus?" Jack asked after a moment.
The Winter Pixie, known as Jack, noticed that Story had his head in his hands, and seemed to be down. But the boy whipped his head up and glared at him.
"What?" Story said sharply, as sprung out of his chair. He abruptly appeared next to Jack. "What did he say?"
"He said that he looks the way he does because you made him that way," Jack told him, feeling worried. "And he called you Artemus. That's not your name is it."
"No!" Story suddenly barked almost, and smacked the pitcher off, grabbing the pixie roughly.
"Don't you ever call me that," Story hissed, into the tiny creature's face, as he had brought Nyfe very close. "Remember your station."
Jack frowned as the boy released the poor pixie. This definitely wasn't like Story at all, the Winter Spirit thought. Jack blinked as Nyfe took refuge behind him and the Frost Pixie frowned as the boy glared at him and he saw anger and confusion in the green eyes of his friend. Then Story turned and sat down on a bed that was nearby, once more putting his head in his hands.
"You can leave," Story said abruptly. "I think that I need to be alone."
"No he doesn't," Nyfe whispered, his voice sounding like a soft wind. "Something is wrong with Story. I think he's broken."
Jack blinked as he knew that Nyfe was right. But the problem was finding out what was wrong, and the only clues were how his friend was acting. He had only known Story for about two years, but Nyfe had known him more.
"Nyfe," Jack whispered, trying to not bother the boy at the time. "What do you mean broken?"
"I mean like pieces are breaking off," The dark Pixie answered. "I've seen this once before, and it resulted in Story starting to forget."
"What? Forget how?"
"Us," Nyfe said as his wings drooped in sorrow. "And the last time, he got caught up in a cave collapse. Afterwards he was himself again and a Spirit. This was almost right before you."
Jack looked at his friend and smiled as he had an idea on what to do to try and help. Nyfe leapt into the air, and attempted to pull the Frosted spirit back to stop him, but Jack brushed him off and went up to Story.
At that moment there was a knock at his door, and Nyfe watched Story get up.
And walk right through Jack.
The Winter Spirit gasped in shock, and Nyfe almost dropped out of the air. The horror of the two went unnoticed as Story opened the door to see a girl almost about his age. Jack looked at the back of the boy's figure, and thoughts were racing through his head. And Nyfe settled on the Spirit's shoulder.
Nothing had prepared Jack for this, and even Nyfe was not able to understand, as neither had seen this. Story who was supposed to instill belief, now had seemed to forgotten and had walked through his favorite in all of the world.
Jack felt tears fighting to come out, and he squeezed his eyes shut. This apparently was a normal thing, Jack told himself, everyone forgot. But the feeling that the Frost Spirit had was like the world dropping out from under him and no way to fly.
Jack opened his eyes when he started to hear something like sniffing and he looked to see Nyfe. It looked as if the tiny pixie was crying, the dark wings were folded and the little pixie had his face buried in his cloak.
Jack looked back at Story, to see the boy smiling at the girl and talking to her. Jack blinked, and the hurt was clear on his face. Yet it wasn't noticed, as Jack turned and walked over to the window. He didn't want to stay, so Jack quickly left, just missing a box that was for him. A tiny box that had a pair of blue silk shoes just for Jack.
And Story continued to talk to Mary Overland.
Present time.. .
It had been several years since Jack had become a Guardian, and during that time, there was no sign from Story. Pitch was gone that was sure, but Story should have made an appearance, at least for Jack. He still had the hope his friend would return, if people had continued to believe.
And the Winter Guardian now was the focus of the Pixies, never a day that a Pixie would come up to Jack and Nyfe. Either to give a report or to ask questions. When Jack asked why they did, they always replied, that he was once Story's favorite and the one that had been the closest to him. And as a result, he was learning the names of those who visited him often.
As for Nyfe, he was about a foot tall now, and shined whenever he got excited. Once a dark and creepy Pixie covered in shadows and nightshade, Nyfe came into being and was wrapped in darkness to hide and protect the Pixie. Story had done that to Nyfe, who was originally supposed to be like he was now.
Jack always admired Nyfe, his partner. The Pixie looked like a twiggy humanoid with slightly abnormally large deep green eyes and short wind blown white hair. And the Moon pixie always looked like he was wrapped up, in a attempt for clothes, in what looked like snowflakes and Pine needles. Before the Pixie looked like he was made up of Shadows and dirt, but that was once only a disguise, hiding Nyfe's light.
They both learned that they were what Story would have considered a bonded pair. The knowledge coming from another set of bonded Pixies. As Jack figured, it was when a soul split into two Pixies, and it was something that very rarely happened.
Jack actually enjoyed Nyfe's company. He never got tired of his partner, and Nyfe apparently thought the same. And over the years, they learned how to use their bond to the same level as Klasser and Punzt. And even became the example for the two older Pixies.
There was alot to do as Guardian, Winter Seasonal, and being the appointed Caretaker of the Pixies now. And Jack rose to the challenge every day. So it was missed on one day, when Jack hopped out of his bed and passed over a pair of blue soft silk shoes. He just hopped right over them, with his focus on what Nyfe was doing at the time.
He noticed his partner slightly arguing with Bells, who was the head Pixie over North's workshop. Nyfe has wanted to try some eggnog, and Bells was getting onto him because he had spilled it all over the kitchen, and himself. It was then that Jack noticed that Nyfe's hair wasn't sticking out to everywhere. In fact it looked like it had gotten wet.
Jack smirked, as he grabbed his staff, he walked up and slowly got really close to his partner, and he stuck out his tongue to try to get a quick taste to see if Nyfe still had eggnog on him. The Pixie was hovering in the air, and Jack planned for it to be quite quick.
He never got the chance as Nyfe suddenly turned around and caught the Winter Pixie in the act. Jack saw Nyfe's already big eyes seemed to get bigger as he realized what Jack was going to do.
"Were you going to taste me?!" Nyfe accused, his voice sounding like cracking ice with a hint of laughter.
Jack looked at his partner sheepishly and his tongue disappeared into his mouth. He smirked and quickly shook his head.
"North!" Nyfe shouted, as he shot off and vanished into the Workshop. "Jack's gonna eat meeeee!"
Jack shook his head and chuckled as Bells looked at him in surprise. He walked past her, and followed after his partner.
They were staying in North's workshop, as the jolly man thought that Jack needed a place to stay. And with all of the Pixies now visiting Jack, North invited the Winter Pixie to stay there. Jack considered it home afterwards, and the Frost Guardian found that the Russian was like a father and a dear friend to him.
Jack saw Nyfe telling North about how he was going to taste him and the Pixie boy smirked as Bells shot past him.
"He spilled eggnog on himself," Jack heard her inform the man.
"I-I-I wanted to see if I can also swim in it!" Nyfe quickly stuttered out, trying to save face. "Because the cup was big enough to!"
Jack closed his eyes, in embarrassment and heard North chuckle, and he knew that he had to save his partner.
"Eggnog not for Pixies to swim in," North said, his voice hinting at the amusement of the situation. "It for drinking. Maybe we get a smaller cup for you."
"I didn't spill it on myself," Nyfe retorted feebly, as Jack scooped up his partner in a hand. The Frost Spirit briefly noticed Bells shaking her head and commenting that the other Pixies knew how to drink.
"Let's go out and play," Jack offered, smiling. "Maybe we should create a snow day for the kids today?"
"I like that idea," Nyfe said, looking up at his partner. "As long as you don't try tasting me again."
"I won't," Jack promised with a smile. "While we're out, we might also want to clean you off. I think you're getting sticky."
"Yeah," Nyfe commented as he settled down onto Jack's shoulder. "You're right, my wings are starting to feel stiff."
Jack grinned as he shot into the air, up into the rafters, and out through a window. Nyfe held on, enjoying the wind and the ride. And on the way a few of the pixies joined Jack for a little bit, keeping up with him. Then they vanished afterwards, dropping off to go and do other things.
Jack soared on, and it was when Nyfe tapped on the back of his head and pointed at something, that the Winter Guardian saw it. It was another frost spirit and they looked like they were trying to get his attention, racing and leaping over the snow. Jack was like the only winter or frost spirit who could fly, so he quickly landed to find out what was going on.
As he did, the spirit came up to Jack, and started talking.
"Jack," The spirit quickly said. "I think we might have a problem."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked.
"Um," Jack heard the spirit hesitate. "Lady Nature is really angry right now and she's looking at you as responsible."
"For what?"
"Well, um," Jack heard. "Someone released Mal from his prison. And there's a good amount of ice and snow around his prison. She's calling for your arrest my lord."
"But I didn't do anything," Jack commented seeing Nyfe shake his head.
"You have to hide," Nyfe suggested. "Until we find out who did it."
"No," Jack said, placing Nyfe onto the ground and looking at his friend. "I have to do the right thing on this, besides there's no hiding from her. You're going to have to get the Guardian's help Nyfe. Tell them what happened."
Nyfe frowned as he quickly used the snow to wash the eggnog off his wings. By the time he finished, Jack had already left in a flurry of snow and ice.
The little pixie then shot into the air, and hovered for a minute. He scratched his head as he had a thought. The pixie dashed in one direction, then stopped. He then dashed back to where he started and stopped.
Then in a huff, Nyfe crossed his arms over his chest, as he fought with his nature and the instructions that Jack gave him. He had to decide what to do now, as he suddenly felt that time was not on their side.
He hovered in the air again, and after a moment reason and instruction won out, and the pixie dashed off towards North's workshop. He decided to tell the man and then visit the old house that Story once lived and owned.